Custom Beer Cardboard Display Manufacturing: A Practical Guide for Retail Beer Brands - Holidaypac

If you sell beer in retail, you already know the real battle doesn’t happen in your marketing meeting.

It happens in front of the shelf.

That’s where a custom beer cardboard display can quietly make or break your promotion.

Studies show that around 70% of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) purchase decisions happen inside the store, heavily influenced by category layout and displays.  And when researchers measured point-of-purchase (POP) displays, they found that roughly one in six purchases happened only because a display was present. 

So if your beer is sitting in a plain stack of brown cartons, it’s probably losing to the brand next door.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to plan, design, and manufacture a custom beer cardboard display that actually works in real stores — not just in a design mockup.

We’ll keep it practical, define key terms, and stay away from fluffy sales talk.

1. What Is a Custom Beer Cardboard Display?

Let’s start simple.

A beer cardboard display (also called a beer POS display or beer POP display) is a temporary or semi-permanent structure made from corrugated cardboard that holds your beer in store and shows your branding.

• Point-of-sale (POS) / point-of-purchase (POP) display：A branded display placed in-store to promote products, often near the shelf, checkout, or aisle.
• Corrugated cardboard：The layered cardboard with a wavy middle layer (called flute) between two flat liners. This structure makes it both light and strong.

Unlike steel racks or wooden fixtures, cardboard displays are:

• lightweight
• easy to print on
• affordable for short campaigns
• flat-packed and shipped efficiently

They’re also used heavily in beer and drinks packaging because they protect bottles and cans while giving plenty of room for storytelling on the surface. 

A custom beer cardboard display means it’s designed from scratch for your brand, your pack size, your store rules, and your promotion — not just a generic stand with a logo stuck on.

2. Why Cardboard Works So Well for Beer Merchandising

If you’re going to invest in displays, you want to know why cardboard is worth it.

2.1 Strong enough for heavy packs

Beer is heavy. A 24-pack of cans or a case of glass bottles adds up fast.

Corrugated cardboard is popular for drinks because its structure is engineered to carry weight without collapsing, while still being light to move and ship. 

You can:

• stack multiple cases safely
• design trays and shelves that resist bending
• add reinforcements in high-load zones

2.2 Highly recyclable and eco-friendly

Cardboard has one big advantage over plastic displays: recycling.

• Corrugated packaging in many regions reaches recycling rates above 69–74%, far higher than many plastic containers. 
• Some reports show cardboard recycling rates above 90% in certain markets. 
• Plastic packaging, especially flexible films, often has single-digit recycling rates. 

That means when you choose cardboard for your beer display, you’re usually:

• lowering plastic use
• making it easier for retailers to recycle
• aligning with shoppers who care about sustainability

You don’t need to shout “green” everywhere. Just a small recycling icon and a line like “Made from recyclable cardboard” can send the right signal.

2.3 Affordable, flexible, and fast to adapt

Cardboard displays are:

• Affordable for short-term beer promotions
• Flexible to re-design for a new flavor, seasonal beer, or sports event
• Fast to cut, print, and assemble

Studies on in-store marketing show cardboard displays are a powerful tool because they combine strong visual impact with low cost and high customizability. 

That’s exactly what beer brands need for limited-time offers.

3. Start with the Goal: What Should Your Display Actually Do?

Before you talk about colors or 3D shapes, step back.

Ask yourself:“If this custom beer cardboard display works perfectly, what changes in-store?”

Some common goals:

• Launch a new beer or flavor
• Trade shoppers up from 4-packs to 12-packs
• Move slow inventory
• Drive trial of a seasonal or limited release
• Win visibility in a new chain or region

Now add constraints:

• How much floor space does the retailer allow?
• Any height or safety limits?
• Is it near the beer aisle, in a power aisle, or near checkout?
• Does the store require all displays to be pre-packed?

When I work through this with brands, I like to write a one-sentence brief:“I want a floor display on a 600 × 400 mm footprint that holds twelve 24-packs of lager, runs for 8 weeks, and can be assembled in under 10 minutes by store staff.”

If you can’t explain your goal in one sentence, your brief might be too vague — and the final display will feel vague too.

4. Choosing the Right Display Type for Beer

Now let’s talk shapes. There’s no single “best” structure. It depends on your pack, store, and budget.

Here are the main types used for beer.

4.1 Case stacker with branded riser

A case stacker is simply a stack of your regular beer cases with a branded header or “riser” behind or on top.

Pros

• Very cost-effective
• Uses regular shipping cartons
• Easy to build in-store

Cons

• Less “premium” than a fully custom structure
• Stability depends on how neatly cases are stacked

Good for price-led promotions and warehouse-style or discount retailers.

4.2 Free Standing Display Unit (FSDU)

A Free Standing Display Unit (FSDU) is a cardboard tower that stands on the floor with built-in shelves or compartments.

This is where a custom beer cardboard display really shines.

You can design:

• multiple shelves for different flavors
• a hero area for your flagship beer
• side panels with story, awards, and pairing tips

FSDUs are perfect for supermarkets, convenience stores, and liquor shops where you want to pull shoppers away from the crowded main shelf.

4.3 Countertop or mini displays

Not every beer promotion needs a big tower.

Countertop displays work well for:

• small cans
• trial packs
• mixer sets or ready-to-drink cocktails

They sit near payment areas, where shoppers are already in “yes/no” mode. For alcohol, you’ll need to follow local rules about how close displays can be to the checkout, so always check retailer and legal guidelines.

4.4 Pallet displays and club-store solutions

If you sell into club stores or warehouse retailers, you might use pallet displays.

Here you build:

• a full or half pallet base
• a branded “wrap” or shroud around the product
• corner posts and headers for extra visibility

Pallet displays keep logistics efficient and give you a huge advertising space. They’re especially powerful for family packs, party

packs, or pre-game bundles.

5. Designing a Custom Beer Cardboard Display That Actually Sells

Here’s where we connect shopper psychology to structural design.

Several studies show that:

• shoppers pay extra attention to the center of a display or shelf
• well-designed displays reduce uncertainty and make decisions easier 

So your custom beer cardboard display should support the way real humans look, think, and decide.

5.1 One main message, not five

If I ask you, “What’s the one thing you want a shopper to think when they see this display?” you should have a clear answer.

Examples:

• “This is the perfect beer for BBQs.”
• “This lager is cold, crisp, and refreshing.”
• “This craft IPA is new and worth a try.”

Your key message should show up in:

• the header (top panel)
• the main visual (e.g., frosty glass, outdoor scene)
• supporting call-outs (like “BBQ Edition” or “Game Night Pack”)

5.2 Make the hero pack impossible to miss

Define your hero pack — the SKU that matters most.

Then:

• Put it at eye level or just below.
• Place it near the center of the display to capture more visual attention. 
• Give it more facings (the number of product fronts visible to the shopper).

If you support secondary packs (like a lighter beer or seasonal flavor), they can sit on upper or lower shelves with smaller space.

5.3 Use color and structure to guide the eye

You don’t need wild graphics to stand out.

You can:

• Use your brand color boldly on the header and sides.
• Reserve white or darker areas for text to maintain contrast.
• Use arrows or angled shapes to guide shoppers to the main pack.

Remember, shoppers are moving fast. A display must communicate in one glance, not after a 10-second stare.

6. The Engineering Side: How Beer Cardboard Displays Are Built

Now let’s peek behind the curtain.

You don’t need to be an engineer, but understanding the basics will help you brief your manufacturer and avoid weak structures.

6.1 Board grade and flutes

Corrugated board is made from:

• outer liner
• inner liner
• fluted (wavy) middle layer

Different board grades and flute types give different strength, thickness, and print quality.

For beer displays, common choices include:

• Single wall board for lighter loads or small displays
• Double wall board for heavy cases or pallet displays

Your manufacturer will usually recommend a grade based on:

• case weight
• number of cases
• whether shoppers can lean or push carts into the display

6.2 Tabs, slots, and locking features

Most custom beer cardboard displays are designed to assemble without tools.

They use:

• interlocking tabs and slots
• fold-over flaps that lock shelves in place
• glue only in pre-assembled components

When you get it right, store staff can assemble in minutes. When you ignore it, they curse the brand and never use the display again.

6.3 Stability and safety testing

A display full of glass bottles must be stable.

Good manufacturers will:

• check center of gravity so it doesn’t topple easily
• test the display under tilting or pushing
• confirm shelf deflection (how much shelves bend) is acceptable under full load

You don’t need advanced math to ask sensible questions like:

• “What’s the tested maximum load per shelf?”
• “What happens if a shopper leans on the header?”

If your partner can’t answer, that’s a red flag.

7. From Sketch to Factory: The Custom Beer Cardboard Display Manufacturing Process

Let’s walk through a typical project from idea to finished display.

7.1 Brief and measurements

You share:

• goals, budget, and timing
• pack dimensions and weights
• retailer rules (footprint, height, safety, branding do’s and don’ts)

The structural designer builds a CAD drawing (a digital blueprint) for the display.

7.2 White sample (no print)

Next comes a white sample — a prototype made from plain board.

You and the retailer can check:

• fit of the beer packs
• stability and load
• assembly time and complexity

This is your chance to fix issues before you spend on printing.

7.3 Artwork and print proof

Meanwhile, your graphic designer (or the manufacturer’s team) prepares artwork on dielines — flat outlines of each cardboard piece.

You review:

• branding
• messages
• legal text and alcohol warnings
• barcodes and QR codes

You also approve a color proof so the final print matches your brand colors.

7.4 Printing and die-cutting

For most custom beer cardboard displays, manufacturers use:

• Flexographic printing (flexo) for large volumes and simple designs
• Litho-lamination (litho-lam) for high-quality graphics
• Digital printing for short runs or frequent design changes

Printed sheets then go through a die-cutter — a machine that cuts and creases the board into its final shapes.

7.5 Gluing, packing, and shipping

Pre-glued parts (like bases or headers) are prepared, and all components are:

• stacked
• kitted with instructions
• packed flat into master cartons

From there, displays ship to your warehouse or directly to retailers.

8. Sustainability and Your Custom Beer Cardboard Display

We’ve already talked about recycling, but sustainability isn’t just a buzzword. It matters practically.

• Cardboard has significantly higher recycling rates than many plastics used in displays. 
• Paper and board communities in the EU report recycling rates above 80% for paper & board as a category. 

For your project, you can:

• Use FSC-certified or similar responsibly sourced paper
• Minimize plastic coatings or lamination
• Print clear recycling instructions on the display

This doesn’t only help the planet. It also helps you meet retailer ESG expectations and consumer demand for more responsible packaging.

A simple line like:

“Printed on recyclable corrugated cardboard from responsibly managed forests.”

can do a lot of quiet work for your brand.

9. Graphics for Beer: Turning Cardboard into a Story

Now let’s return to the fun part: what your display looks like.

When you design a custom beer cardboard display, there are a few things I always recommend.

9.1 Show the drinking moment

Beer isn’t just a liquid. It’s a situation.

Think about:

• BBQs
• sports nights
• beach days
• cozy evenings

Use your main panel to show the moment, not just the pack. This helps shoppers imagine where your beer fits in their life.

9.2 Make the pack clear and readable

Even with strong lifestyle images, the pack should still be instantly visible.

Check from 3–5 meters away:

• Can you tell it’s beer (not soda)?
• Can you see the brand name clearly?
• Can you guess the style (lager, IPA, stout) and ABV range?

If not, simplify.

9.3 Respect alcohol regulations

Alcohol categories have specific rules per country:

• age restriction icons or text
• responsible drinking messages
• limits on imagery targeting minors

Make sure your artwork fits the strictest market you’ll ship into, or create variants if needed.

10. Making Your Custom Beer Cardboard Display Easy to Use In-Store

An amazing design that never gets built is just a nice PDF.

So let’s help store staff out.

10.1 Simple instructions

Include:

• a clear one-page diagram
• step-by-step pictures
• an estimate like “Assembly time: ~8 minutes”

You can also add a QR code linking to a short assembly video. This reduces frustration and increases the chance your display is actually used.

10.2 Pre-packed vs in-store packed

You have two basic options:

1. Pre-packed displays
   Beer is loaded into the display at a co-packer or warehouse, then the whole unit ships on a pallet.

   • Faster for store staff

   • Higher up-front logistics planning

2. Flat-packed displays + loose product
   Store staff build the display and fill it.

   • Lower shipping volume

   • More work in store

For heavy beer, many brands like pre-packed solutions, especially for pallet programs. Just check that each display can survive transport and handling.

11. Measuring if Your Beer Displays Actually Work

Good news: you don’t have to guess.

Research on POP displays shows that in-store materials can increase sales dramatically — some studies report in-store sales lifts of up to 65% when POP/POS materials are used effectively. 

But you should measure your own results.

11.1 Basic metrics

At a minimum, track:

• Sales uplift

Compare sales in stores with your display vs similar stores without it.

• Sell-through rate

How fast do cases move compared to normal shelf placement?

• Display compliance

How many stores actually build the display and keep it stocked?

11.2 Simple ways to collect data

You can:

• Ask key retailers for weekly sales reports
• Send field reps or use photo-based audit tools
• Run small A/B tests with different display designs

This turns your display program from “art project” into a repeatable growth tool.

12. Common Mistakes in Custom Beer Cardboard Display Manufacturing

I’ve seen a lot of displays fail for avoidable reasons.

Here are the big traps to avoid.

12.1 Over-complicating the structure

If a display requires 30 minutes and three people to assemble, most store teams simply won’t do it.

Fix: Aim for 10 minutes or less, with as few unique parts as possible.

12.2 Ignoring retailer rules

Every chain has its own rules about:

• footprint
• height
• safety
• allowed graphics

If you ignore these, buyers may reject your display even if it’s beautiful.

12.3 Too much text, too little clarity

Shoppers don’t want to read paragraphs in front of the beer aisle.

Fix: Use:

• one main headline
• one supporting benefit
• one strong visual

Let the product itself do most of the talking.

12.4 Forgetting about replenishment

If restocking the display is awkward — for example, staff must unload half the display just to reach the back — they will avoid it.

Design shelves and openings so staff can refill quickly from the front or side.

13. Quick Checklist for Your Next Custom Beer Cardboard Display

Here’s a simple checklist you can use with your team or manufacturer.

Strategy

• I can describe the main goal of the display in one sentence.
• I know where the display will stand in-store.
• I know which pack is the hero SKU.

Structure

• The display footprint and height follow retailer rules.
• Board grade and shelf strength match the total weight.
• Assembly time is reasonable for store staff.

Graphics

• The hero pack is clear from 3–5 meters away.
• There is one main message, not five competing claims.
• Alcohol and legal requirements are checked and approved.

Sustainability

• The display uses recyclable corrugated cardboard.
• Recycling or sustainability icons are used correctly. 

Measurement

• I have a basic plan to compare sales with vs without displays.
• I know how I’ll check display compliance in stores.

If you can tick most of these boxes, your project is in good shape.

14. Bringing It All Together

A custom beer cardboard display is more than just printed board.

It’s a small, temporary “stage” where your brand gets a few seconds to talk to a shopper who is already ready to buy something.

When you:

• start with a clear goal
• choose the right display type
• engineer for strength and easy assembly
• design for real shopper behavior
• and measure results

you turn that stage into a reliable sales tool, not just a nice picture in a marketing deck.

You don’t need to be a designer or packaging engineer to get this right.

But you do need to ask the right questions, push for clear answers, and treat each display as a test you can learn from.

If you do that, your next custom beer cardboard display won’t just look good in photos.

It will move real cases, in real stores, with real shoppers — and that’s what matters.